Vertical charge control semiconductor device with low output capacitance

ABSTRACT

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a MOSFET includes at least two insulation-filled trench regions laterally spaced in a first semiconductor region to form a drift region therebetween, and at least one resistive element located along an outer periphery of each of the two insulation-filled trench regions. A ratio of a width of each of the insulation-filled trench regions to a width of the drift region is adjusted so that an output capacitance of the MOSFET is minimized.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 10/200,056, filed Jul. 18, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,626, which disclosure is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Power field effect transistors, e.g., MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors), are well-known in the semiconductor industry. One type of power MOSFET is a DMOS (double-diffused metal oxide semiconductor) transistor. A cross-sectional view of a portion of a cell array of one known variety of DMOS transistors is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, an n-type epitaxial layer 102 overlies n-type substrate region 100 to which the drain contact is made. Polysilicon-filled trenches extend into the epitaxial layer 102 from the top surface. The polysilicon 106 a, 106 b in the trenches are insulated from the epitaxial layer by oxide layers 104 a, 104 b. Source regions 108 a, 108 b in p-type body regions 110 a, 110 b are adjacent the trenches at the top surface. A polysilicon gate 114 overlaps the source regions 108 a,b, extends over a surface portion of the body regions 110 a,b, and extends over a surface area of a region between the two trenches commonly referred to as the mesa drift region. Metal layer 116 electrically shorts source regions 108 a,b to body regions 110 a,b and polysilicon 106 a,b in the trenches. The surface area of body regions 110 a,b directly underneath gate 114 defines the transistor channel region. The area between body regions 110 a and 110 b under gate 114 is commonly referred to as the JFET region.

Upon applying a positive voltage to the gate and the drain, and grounding the source and the body regions, the channel region is inverted. A current thus starts to flow from the drain to the source through the drift region and the surface channel region.

A maximum forward blocking voltage, hereinafter referred to as “the breakdown voltage”, is determined by the avalanche breakdown voltage of a reverse-biased body-drain junction. The DMOS structure in FIG. 1 has a high breakdown voltage due to the polysilicon-filled trenches. Polysilicon 106 a,b cause the depletion layer formed as a result of the reverse-biased body-drain junction to be pushed deeper into the drift region. By increasing the depletion region depth without increasing the electric field, the breakdown voltage is increased without having to resort to reducing the doping concentration in the drift region which would otherwise increase the transistor on-resistance.

A drawback of the FIG. 1 structure is its high output capacitance Coss, making this structure less attractive for high frequency applications such as radio frequency (RF) devices for power amplifiers in the wireless communication base stations. The output capacitance Coss of the FIG. 1 structure is primarily made up of: (i) the capacitance across the oxide between the polysilicon in the trenches and the drift region (i.e., Cox), in series with (ii) the capacitance across the depletion region at the body-drift region junction. Cox is a fixed capacitance while the depletion capacitance is inversely proportional to the body-drain bias.

The breakdown voltage of power MOSFETs is dependent not only upon the cell structure but also on the manner in which the device is terminated at its outer edges. To achieve a high breakdown voltage for the device as a whole, the breakdown voltage at the outer edges must be at least as high as that for the cells. Thus, for any cell structure, a corresponding terminating structure is needed which exhibits a high breakdown voltage.

In most amplifier circuits a significant amount of heat energy is produced in the transistor. Only 50% efficiency is typical of the best class AB RF power amplifiers available. An important factor in designing power devices for high frequency applications is thus the thermal performance of the device. Because of the different device performance requirements, the cells in power MOSFETs are densely packed resulting in concentration of heat in active regions and poor heat transfer rates. The increase in temperature resulting from the poor heat transfer rate adversely effects the device performance.

Thus, a power MOSFET device with such improved characteristics as low output capacitance, high breakdown voltage, and improved thermal performance is desired.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, MOSFET cell structures and edge termination structures, and methods of manufacturing the same, are described which among other features and advantages exhibit a substantially reduced output capacitance, high breakdown voltage, and improved thermal performance.

In one embodiment, a MOSFET comprises at least two insulation-filled trench regions laterally spaced in a first semiconductor region to form a drift region therebetween, and at least one resistive element located along an outer periphery of each of the two insulation-filled trench regions. A ratio of a width of each of the insulation-filled trench regions to a width of the drift region is adjusted so that an output capacitance of the MOSFET is minimized.

In another embodiment, a MOSFET comprises a first semiconductor region having a first surface, a first trench region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, and at least one floating discontinuous region along a sidewall of the first trench region.

In another embodiment, a MOSFET comprises a first semiconductor region having a first surface, a first trench region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, and a first plurality of regions along a sidewall of the first trench region.

In another embodiment, a MOSFET comprises a first semiconductor region having a first surface, and first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region. Each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions has an outer layer of silicon of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region. The first and second insulation-filled trench regions are spaced apart in the first semiconductor region to form a drift region therebetween such that the volume of each of the first and second trench regions is greater than one-quarter of the volume of the drift region.

In another embodiment, a MOSFET comprises a first semiconductor region over a substrate. The first semiconductor region has a first surface. The MOSFET further includes first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface to a predetermined depth within the first semiconductor region. Each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions has an outer layer of doped silicon material which is discontinuous along a bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region so that the insulation material along the bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region is in direct contact with the first semiconductor region. The outer layer of silicon material is of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region.

In another embodiment, a MOSFET comprises a first semiconductor region having a first surface, a first insulation-filled trench region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, and strips of semi-insulating material along the sidewalls of the first insulation-filled trench region. The strips of semi-insulating material are insulated from the first semiconductor region.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a MOSFET is formed as follows. A first epitaxial layer is formed over a substrate. A first doped region is formed in the first epitaxial layer. The first doped region has a conductivity type opposite that of the first epitaxial layer. A second epitaxial layer is formed over the first doped region and the first epitaxial region. A first trench region is formed which extends from a surface of the second epitaxial layer through the first and second epitaxial layers and the first doped region such that the first doped region is divided into two floating discontinuous regions along sidewalls of the first trench region.

In another embodiment, a MOSFET is formed as follows. A first epitaxial layer is formed over a substrate. First and second doped regions are formed in the first epitaxial layer. The first and second doped regions have a conductivity type opposite that of the first epitaxial layer. A second epitaxial layer is formed over the first and second doped regions and the first epitaxial region. First and second trench regions are formed wherein the first trench region extends through the first and second epitaxial layers and the first doped region such that the first doped region is divided into two floating discontinuous regions along sidewalls of the first trench region, and the second trench region extends through the first and second epitaxial layers and the second doped region such that the second doped region is divided into two floating discontinuous regions along sidewalls of the second trench region.

In another embodiment, a MOSFET is formed as follows. A first trench is formed in a first semiconductor region. A first doped region is formed along a bottom of the first trench. The first trench is extended deeper into the first semiconductor region such that of the first doped region two floating discontinuous regions remain along sidewalls of the first trench.

In another embodiment, a MOSFET is formed as follows. A first semiconductor region is formed over a substrate. The first semiconductor region has a first surface. A first trench is formed which extends from the first surface to a predetermined depth within the first semiconductor region. A layer of doped silicon material is formed along sidewalls of the trench. The layer of doped silicon material is of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region.

The following detailed description and the accompanying drawings provide a better understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a cell array of a known n-channel DMOS transistor;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a cell array with floating p regions in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3-1 a through 3-1 e are cross-sectional views showing an exemplary set of process steps for forming the structure in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 3-2 a through 3-2 c are cross-sectional views showing another exemplary set of process steps for forming the structure in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a cell array having elongated floating p regions in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a cell array having a wide insulation-filled trench in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a cell array having insulation-filled trenches with a thin p layer along its outer perimeter in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a cell array with wide trenches;

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a cell array with p strips along sidewalls of the trenches, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9 a through 9 c are cross-sectional views showing an exemplary set of process steps for forming the structure in FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c show cross-sectional views of cell arrays having strips of semi-insulating material along sidewalls of trenches in accordance with three embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional view of a cell array wherein the trench structure shown in FIG. 8 is combined with a gate structure different than that shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 shows a cross sectional view of a cell array wherein the trench structure shown in FIG. 8 is combined with yet another gate structure;

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of an edge termination structure in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of another edge termination structure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

MOSFET cell structures, edge termination structures, and methods of manufacturing the same are described in accordance with the present invention. Among other features and advantages, the cell and termination structures and methods of manufacturing the same exhibit a substantially reduced output capacitance, high breakdown voltage, and improved thermal performance.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a power MOSFET cell array in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, both gate terminal 205 and source terminal 207 are located along the top-side of the device, and drain terminal 203 is located along the bottom-side. Drain terminal 203 is coupled to the lightly-doped epitaxial region 202 through a highly doped region 200 serving as the drain contact. Oxide-filled trench regions 204 a, 204 b extend from the top-side to a predetermined depth in the epitaxial region 202. Discontinuous floating p-type regions 206 a, 206 b are spaced along an outer sidewall of trench regions 204 a,b. P-type body regions 208 a, 208 b extend from the top-side into the epitaxial region adjacent trench regions 204 a,b. As shown, body regions 208 a,b include highly-doped p+ regions 210 a,b, although these p+ regions may be eliminated if desired. Source regions 212 a,b are formed in body regions 208 a,b as shown.

Polysilicon gates 216 overlap source regions 212 a,b, extend over the surface area of body regions 208 a,b and over the surface area of epitaxial region 202 between body regions 208 a and 208 b. Gates 216 are insulated from the underlying regions by gate oxide 214. The surface area of body regions 208 a,b directly under gates 216 form the channel regions. Metal layer 218 overlies the top-side of the structure and forms the common source-body contact.

The area of the epitaxial region between trenches 204 a and 204 b is hereinafter referred to as drift region 209. When proper biasing is applied to the gate, drain, and source terminals to turn on the device, current flows between drain terminal 203 and source terminal 207 through drain contact region 200, drift regions 209, the channel regions, source diffusion regions 212 a,b, and finally metal layer 218.

Comparing FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the polysilicon 106 a,b (FIG. 1) in the trenches are replaced with insulating material, thus eliminating the significant contributor to the output capacitance of the FIG. 1 structure, namely, Cox. By replacing the polysilicon with an insulator such as silicon-dioxide, a greater portion of the space charge region appears across an insulator rather than silicon. Because the permitivity of insulator is lower than that of silicon (in the case of silicon-dioxide, a factor of about three lower), and the area of the space charge region along its boundaries is reduced (especially when the application voltage is low), the output capacitance is significantly reduced (by at least a factor of three).

As described above, the polysilicon in the trenches of the prior art FIG. 1 structure helps improve the cell breakdown voltage by pushing the depletion region deeper into the drift region. Eliminating the polysilicon would thus result in lowering the breakdown voltage unless other means of reducing the electric field are employed. Floating p regions 206 a,b serve to reduce the electric field. In FIG. 2, as the electric field increases with the increasing drain voltage, floating p regions 206 a,b acquire a corresponding potential determined by their position in the space charge region. The floating potential of these p regions causes the electric field to spread deeper into the drift region resulting in a more uniform field throughout the depth of the drift region and thus in a higher breakdown voltage. Accordingly, similar breakdown voltage characteristics to that of the FIG. 1 structure is achieved but with much reduced output capacitance.

Floating p regions 206 a,b have the adverse effect of reducing the width of drift regions 209 through which current flows when the device is in the on-state, and thus result in increased on-resistance. However, the adverse impact of the floating p regions on the on-resistance can be reduced by obtaining an optimum balance between the charge concentration in the drift region and such features of the floating p regions as size, doping concentration, and the spacing Lp between them. For example, a higher charge concentration in the drift region would require a smaller spacing Lp and vice versa. Further, because the floating p regions reduce the electric field near the surface in the channel, the channel length can be reduced to improve the on-resistance and the general performance of the device as a high frequency amplifier.

In one embodiment wherein a breakdown voltage of 80-100V is desired, epitaxial region 202 has a doping concentration in the range of 5×1015 to 1×1016 cm-3 and the floating p regions 206 a,b have a doping concentration of about 5-10 times that of the epitaxial region.

FIGS. 3-1 a through 3-1 e are cross-sectional views showing an exemplary set of process steps for forming the structure in FIG. 2. In FIG. 3-1 a, a first n-epitaxial layer 302 is deposited on a heavily-doped substrate 300 using conventional methods. P regions 306, 308 are formed by implanting p-type impurities (such as Boron) through a mask 304. The size of the opening in mask 304 is dependent upon the desired width of the trenches and the desired width of the floating p regions which are in turn dictated by the device performance targets. In one embodiment, the target width of the trench is in the range of 1-5 μm, the width of p regions 306, 308 is at least 1 μm wider than the trench width, the lateral spacing between adjacent p regions 306 and 308 is no less than 1 μm, and n-epitaxial layer 302 has a doping concentration of about 2×1016 cm-3 and a thickness in the range of 2-5 μm.

In FIG. 3-1 b, similar steps to those in FIG. 3-1 a are carried out to from a second n-epitaxial layer 316 and p regions 310, 312. These steps can be repeated depending on the desired number of floating p regions. Alternatively, the steps in FIG. 3-1 b may be eliminated to form only a single floating p region along each trench sidewall.

In FIG. 3-1 c, a final epitaxial layer 320 to receive the device body and source regions is deposited. While the deposition technique used in forming epitaxial regions 302, 316, and 320 is the same, the doping concentration of each epitaxial region can be varied depending on the desired characteristics of the drift region. Similarly, p regions 306, 308 may be implanted to have a different doping concentration than p regions 310, 312 if desired.

In FIG. 3-1 d, mask 330 and conventional silicon trench etching techniques are used to etch through the three epitaxial layers 302, 316, 320 and through the center portion of the p regions 306, 308, 310, 312 to form trenches 322 a, 322 b and corresponding floating p regions 306 a,b,308 a,b, 310 a,b, and 312 a,b. The width of the openings in mask 330 determines the width of the oxide trenches relative to the width of the floating p regions.

After preparation of the trench surface, a relatively thin insulator (e.g., about 300-500 Å of thermal oxide) is grown on the trench surface. Trenches 322 a,b are then filled with a dielectric material such as silicon-dioxide using conventional conformal coating method and/or Spin-On Glass (SOG) method. Any low k dielectric to reduce the output capacitance may be used to fill trenches 322 a,b. Conventional process steps used in forming self-aligned gate DMOS structures are then carried out to form the gate structure as shown in FIG. 3 e.

An alternate method of manufacturing the structure in FIG. 2 is described next using the simplified cross-sectional views in FIGS. 3-2 a through 3-2 c. In FIG. 3-2 a: an initial n-epitaxial layer 342 is deposited on a heavily-doped substrate 340; a trench 344 a is then formed in n-epitaxial layer 342; and an implant step is then carried out to form a p region 346 at the bottom of trench 344 a, followed by a diffusion step to diffuse the p dopants further into epitaxial region 342. In FIG. 3-2 b: trench 344 a is further etched past p region 346 into epitaxial region 342 to form a deeper trench 344 b; and similar implant and diffusion steps to those in FIG. 3-2 a are carried out to form p region 348 at the bottom of trench 344 b. In FIG. 3-2 c: trench 344 b is etched past p region 348 into epitaxial layer 342 to form an even deeper trench 344 c; and trench 344 c is then filled with a suitable insulator. Thus, an insulator-filled trench 344 c and floating p regions 346 a,b and 348 a,b are formed. The remaining process steps would be similar to those described in connection with FIG. 3-1 e.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the vertical charge control enabled by the floating p regions allows the cells to be laterally spaced apart without impacting the electrical characteristics of the device. With the cells spaced further apart, the heat generated by each cell is distributed over a larger area and less heat interaction occurs between adjacent cells. A lower device temperature is thus achieved.

To achieve effective vertical charge control, spacing Lp (FIG. 2) between adjacent floating p regions 206 a and 206 b needs to be carefully engineered. In one embodiment, spacing Lp is determined in accordance with the following proposition: the product of the doping concentration in the drift region and the spacing Lp be in the range of 2×1012 to 4×1012 cm-2. Thus, for example, for a drift region doping concentration of 5×1015 cm-3, the spacing Lp needs to be about 4 μm. Once an optimum spacing Lp is determined, the spacing Lc between a center axis of adjacent trenches 204 a,b can be independently increased without impacting the electrical characteristics of the device.

Two ways of achieving the increased Lc spacing while keeping Lp spacing the same are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In FIG. 4, discontinuous floating p regions 406 a,b along with the source and body regions are extended across a large portion of the area between adjacent trenches to achieve a larger Lc spacing. In one embodiment, a combined width Wt of one trench (e.g., 404 b) and one of the first plurality of floating regions (e.g., 406 b) is greater than one-quarter of the spacing Lp. The FIG. 4 embodiment is particularly useful in technologies where the trench width Wt is tightly limited to a maximum size. If the trench width is not tightly limited, then the width of the trenches can be increased to obtain a larger Lc spacing while keeping spacing Lp the same as shown in FIG. 5.

An advantage of the FIG. 5 structure over that in FIG. 4 is the lower output capacitance because of the smaller floating p regions, and because a larger portion of the depletion region occurs in the wider insulation-filled trenches. Thus, the reduction in output capacitance due to the wider size of the trenches can be promoted by designing the cell structure to have a high ratio of trench insulation volume to drift region volume. A wider trench also results in improved thermal performance. In one embodiment, the volume of the insulation in the trench is at least one-quarter of the volume of the drift region. Thus, the larger the trench volume, the lower the output capacitance and the better the thermal performance of the device. However, little is gained in making the trench wider than the thickness of the die (e.g., 100 μm).

Although FIGS. 2 through 5 show multiple floating p regions along the trench sidewalls, the invention is not limited as such. Depending on the device performance requirements and design goals, only a single floating p region may be formed along each sidewall of the trenches.

FIG. 6 shows a cross section view of a power MOSFET cell array in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The structure in FIG. 6 is similar to that in FIG. 2 except that floating p regions 206 a,b (FIG. 2) are eliminated and p layers (or p liners) 606 a,b are introduced along the outer perimeter of trenches 604 a and 604 b. Similar to floating p regions 206 a,b, help spread the depletion region deeper into the drift regions, thus improving the breakdown voltage. P liners 606 a,b are biased to the same potential as body regions 608 a,b since they are in electrical contact with body regions 608 a,b.

In FIG. 7, as in FIG. 5, the width Wt of the oxide trench is increased to achieve improved thermal performance, while the Lp spacing is maintained at the same optimum value. A drawback of the FIG. 7 structure is that p liners 706 a,b result in higher output capacitance since they cause the space charge region to follow the entire contour of the trench. One approach in reducing the p liners' contribution to the output capacitance is to eliminate that portion of the p liners extending across the bottom of the trenches, as shown in FIG. 8. In this manner, the output capacitance is reduced while the same breakdown voltage is maintained since p strips 806 a,b (FIG. 8) spread the depletion region deeper into the drift regions.

An exemplary set of process steps for forming the structure of FIG. 8 is shown in FIGS. 9 a through 9 c. In FIG. 9 a, a hard mask 906 along with conventional silicon trench etch methods are used to etch epitaxial region 902 to form wide trenches 904 a, 904 b. Using the same mask, p liners 908 are formed by implanting p-type impurities at about a 45° angle into both sidewalls and bottom of the trenches using conventional methods. In FIG. 9 b, conventional silicon etch method is carried out to remove the portion of the p liners along the bottom of the trenches, leaving p strips 908 a,b along the sidewalls of the trenches. In FIG. 9 c, a thermally-grown oxide layer 910 a,b is formed along the inner sidewalls and bottom of each trench. The p-type dopants in p strips 908 a,b are then activated using conventional methods. Conventional oxide deposition steps (e.g., SOG method) are carried out to fill the trenches with oxide, followed by planarization of the oxide surface. Conventional process steps used in forming the gate structure in self-aligned gate DMOS structures are then carried out to form the full structure as shown in FIG. 9 c. Note that in the FIGS. 7 and 8 structures the thermally grown oxide liners, similar to those in FIG. 9 c, are present but are not shown for simplicity. The thermally grown oxide layers are included to provide a cleaner interface between the trench insulator and the p strips.

From the above, it can be seen that manufacturing of the FIG. 8 structure is less complex than that of the FIG. 5 structure because of the extra steps required in forming the floating p regions in the FIG. 5 structure.

The doping concentration in the p liners/strips in FIGS. 6-8 impacts the output capacitance of each of these structures. Highly-doped p regions lead to higher output capacitance since a higher reverse bias potential is needed to fully deplete these p regions. Thus, a low doping concentration (e.g., of about 1×1017 cm-3) would be desirable for these p regions. Note that these p regions have less effect on the output capacitance at high operating voltages.

FIGS. 10 a-10 c show cross sectional views of three power MOSFET cell arrays each of which includes strips of semi-insulating material (e.g., oxygen-doped polysilicon SiPOS) along the trench sidewalls. In all three figures, wide insulation-filled trenches 1004 a,b are used to achieve improved thermal performance as in previous embodiments. Also, the semi-insulating strips in these structures function similar to polysilicon 106 a,b in the prior art FIG. 1 in pushing the depletion region deeper into the drift region, thus improving the breakdown voltage.

In FIG. 10 a, strips 1006 a,b of semi-insulating material extend along the trench sidewalls and are insulated from epitaxial region 1002 and body regions 1008 a,b by a layer of insulating material 1010 a,b. Strips 1006 a,b are in electrical contact with the top metal layer 1018, and thus are biased to the same potential as the source and body regions.

In FIG. 10 b, strips 1020 a,b of semi-insulating material are integrated in the cell array in a similar manner to those in FIG. 10 a except that strips 1020 a,b are insulated from the top metal layer 1018 and thus are floating. During operation, the potential in the space charge region couples to the semi-insulating strips through insulation layers 1010 a,b to bias the strips to a corresponding mostly uniform potential.

In FIG. 10 c, the insulation-filled trenches 1024 a,b extend all the way through epitaxial region 1002 and terminate in substrate 1000. Semi-insulating strips 1022 a,b extend along the sidewalls of the trenches and electrically contact the source terminal through the top metal layer 1018 and the drain terminal through substrate region 1000. Thus, the strips form a resistive connection between drain and source terminals. During operation, the strips acquire a linear voltage gradient with the highest potential (i.e., drain potential) at their bottom to lowest potential (i.e., source potential) at their top. Strips 1022 a,b are insulated from epitaxial regions 1002 by insulating layers 1026 a,b. The gate structure in FIG. 10 c as well as in FIGS. 10 a and 10 b is similar to the previous embodiments.

The semi-insulating strips in the structures of FIGS. 10 a-10 c serve as an additional tool by which the electrical characteristics of the device can be optimized. Depending on the application and the design targets, one structure may be preferred over the other. The resistivity of the strips of semi-insulating material in each of the FIGS. 10 a, 10 b, 10 c structures can be adjusted and potentially varied from the top to the bottom to enable shaping of the space charge region formation in response to the applied drain-source voltage VDS.

An exemplary set of process steps for forming the structure in FIG. 10 a is as follows. A hard mask is used to etch the silicon back to form wide trenches as in previous embodiments with wide trenches. A layer of thermally grown oxide having a thickness in the range of 200-1000 Å is then formed along the inner walls and bottom of the trench. About 4000 Å of conformal oxide is then deposited over the thermally grown oxide layer. Oxygen-doped polysilicon (SiPOS) is then deposited in the trench regions and etched to form strips 1008 a,b along the sidewalls. The trenches are then filled with insulation using conventional methods (e.g., SOG method), followed by planarization of the oxide surface. Conventional steps used in forming self-aligned gate DMOS structures are then carried out to form the full cell structure as shown in FIG. 10 a.

The depth of the trenches in the different embodiments described above may vary depending on the desired device performance and the target application for the device. For example, for high breakdown voltage (e.g., greater than 70V), the trenches may be extended deeper into the epitaxial region (e.g., to a depth of about 5 μm). As another example, the trenches can be extended all the way through the epitaxial region to meet the substrate regions (as in FIG. 10 c). For lower voltage applications, the p regions (e.g., the floating p regions in FIG. 2 and the p strips in FIG. 8) need not extend deep into the epitaxial region since the device is not required to meet high breakdown voltages, and also to minimize the contribution of the p regions to the output capacitance.

Although the trench structures in the different embodiments described above are shown in combination with the gate structure of conventional DMOS cells, the invention is not limited as such. Two examples of other gate structures with which these trench structures may be combined are shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. These two cell structures have the benefit of lower gate to drain capacitance which in combination with the low output capacitance of the trench structures yields power devices particularly suitable for high frequency applications.

The FIG. 11 structure is similar to that in FIG. 8 except that a substantial portion of the gate extending over the surface of the drift region is eliminated. Thus, the gate to drain capacitance is reduced by an amount corresponding to the eliminated portion of the gate. In the FIG. 12 structure, the trench structure in FIG. 8 is combined with the gate structure of a conventional UMOS cell. Thus, the advantages of the UMOS cell (e.g., low on-resistance) are obtained while the low output capacitance and improved thermal performance of the trench structure in accordance with the present invention are maintained. In one embodiment wherein the FIG. 12 structure is intended for lower voltage applications (e.g., in the range 30-40V) the depth of p strips 1208 a,b is relatively shallow (e.g., in the range of 1.5 μm to 3 μm).

Combining the gate structures in FIGS. 11 and 12 or any other gate structure with the different trench structures described above would be obvious to one skilled in this art in view of this disclosure.

In the above embodiments, the vertical charge control enabled by the resistive elements located along the insulation-filled trenches allows the cells to be laterally spaced apart without impacting the electrical characteristics of the device. With the cells spaced further apart, the heat generated by each cell is distributed over a larger area and less heat interaction occurs between adjacent cells. A lower device temperature is thus achieved.

Although the above embodiments show the drain to be located along the bottom-side of the die, the invention is not limited as such. Each of the above cell structures can be modified to become a quasi-vertically conducting structure by including a highly-doped n-type buried layer extending along the interface between the epitaxial region and the underlying highly-doped substrate region. At convenient locations, the buried layer is extended vertically to the top surface where it can be contacted to form the drain terminal of the device. In these embodiments, the substrate region may be n-type or p-type depending on the application of the MOSFET.

As mentioned earlier, edge termination structures with breakdown voltages equal to or greater than that of the individual cells are required to achieve a high device breakdown voltage. In the case of the FIG. 8 structure, simulation results indicate that terminating at the outer edge of the device with a trench structure like trench 804 b would result in higher electric fields due to the electric field transition up to the top surface at the outside of the outer trench. An edge termination structure which yields the same or higher breakdown voltage than the cell structure in FIG. 8 is shown in FIG. 13.

In FIG. 13, the active gate over the drift region between the outer two trenches 1306 b and 1306 c is eliminated allowing the drift region spacing Lt between these outer two trenches to be reduced to less than the drift region spacing Lc in the cell structures. The active gate however may be left in if obtaining the Lt spacing does not require its removal. The outer p strip 1308 d is not biased (i.e., is floating), and may be eliminated if desired. A conventional field plate structure 1310 is optionally included in FIG. 13. The termination structure in FIG. 13 results in: (a) the depletion region terminating within the outer trench 1306 c, thus reducing the electric filed at the outside of trench 1306 c, and (b) the field on the inside of outer trench 1306 c is reduced due to short Lt spacing pushing the depletion region into the drift region.

In another embodiment, the gate structure is included between trenches 1306 b and 1306 c, with spacing Lt equaling spacing Lc. In this embodiment, the p strip immediately to the right of the gate structure between trenches 1306 b and 1306 c (i.e., the p strip corresponding to the strip along the left side of trench 1306 c) is not connected to the source and thus floats.

Other variations of the FIG. 13 embodiment are possible. For example, floating guard-rings may be used on the outside of trench 1306 c with or without field plate structure 1310. Although cell trenches 1306 a,b and termination trench 1306 c are shown to be narrower than the cell trenches in FIG. 8, trenches 1306 a,b,c may be widened as in FIG. 8. Further, the width Wt of termination trench 1306 c may be designed to be different than cell that of trenches 1306 a,b if desired.

FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view showing another termination structure in combination with the cell structure shown in FIG. 8. As shown, the termination structure includes a termination trench 1408 lined with an insulation layer 1410 along its sidewalls and bottom. A field plate 1406 (e.g., from doped polysilicon) is provided over insulation layer 1410 in trench 1408, and extends laterally over the surface and away from the active regions.

Although the above-described termination structures are shown in combination with the cell structure in FIG. 8, these and other known termination structures may be combined with any of the cell structures described above.

While the above is a complete description of the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to use various alternatives, modifications and equivalents. For example, the different embodiments described above are n-channel power MOSFETs. Designing equivalent p-channel MOSFETs would be obvious to one skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Further, p+ regions, similar to p+ regions 210 a,b in the FIG. 2 structure, may be added in the body regions of the other structures described herein to reduce the body resistance and prevent punch-through to the source. Also, the cross sectional views are intended for depiction of the various regions in the different structures and do not necessarily limit the layout or other structural aspects of the cell array. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should be determined not with reference to the above description but should, instead, be determined with reference to the appended claim, along with their full scope of equivalents. 

1. A field effect transistor comprising: a first semiconductor region having a first surface; and first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions having an outer layer of silicon of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region, the outer layer of silicon being lightly doped silicon so that a depletion region formed in the first semiconductor region during an operation mode of the field effect transistor is extended into the first semiconductor region away from the first surface, wherein the first and second insulation-filled trench regions are spaced apart in the first semiconductor region to form a drift region therebetween, the volume of each of the first and second trench regions being greater than one-quarter of the volume of the drift region.
 2. A field effect transistor comprising: a first semiconductor region having a first surface; first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions having an outer layer of silicon of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; a body region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, the body region being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; a source region in the body region, the source region being of the same conductivity type as the first semiconductor region; a gate trench region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region; and a gate recessed in the gate trench region extending across a portion of the body region and overlapping the source and the first semiconductor regions such that a channel region extending perpendicularly to the first surface is formed in the body region between the source and first semiconductor regions, wherein the first and second insulation-filled trench regions are spaced apart in the first semiconductor region to form a drift region therebetween, the volume of each of the first and second trench regions being greater than one-quarter of the volume of the drift region so as to reduce output capacitance and improve thermal performance of the field effect transistor.
 3. A field effect transistor comprising: a first semiconductor region having a first surface; first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions having an outer layer of silicon of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; first and second body regions each extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, the first body region being laterally spaced from the second body region to form a JFET region therebetween, the first and second body regions being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; and first and second source regions in the first and second body regions respectively, the first and second source regions being of the same conductivity type as the first semiconductor region, wherein the first and second insulation-filled trench regions are spaced apart in the first semiconductor region to form a drift region therebetween, the volume of each of the first and second trench regions being greater than one-quarter of the volume of the drift region.
 4. The field effect transistor of claim 3 further comprising a gate extending over but being insulated from the JFET region and a portion of the first and second body regions, and overlapping the first and second source regions such that a channel region is formed along a body surface of each of the first and second body regions between the corresponding source and JFET regions.
 5. The field effect transistor of claim 3 further comprising: a gate extending over but being insulated from each of the first and second body regions such that a channel region is formed along a surface of each of the first and second body regions between the corresponding source and JFET regions, the gate being discontinuous over a surface of the JFET region between the first and second body regions.
 6. A field effect transistor comprising: a first semiconductor region over a substrate, the first semiconductor region having a first surface; and first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface to a predetermined depth within the first semiconductor region, each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions having an outer layer of doped silicon material which is discontinuous along a bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region so that the insulation material along the bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region is in direct contact with the first semiconductor region, the outer layer of silicon material being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region, wherein the outer layer of doped silicon of each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions is lightly doped so that a depletion region formed in the first semiconductor region during an operation mode of the field effect transistor is further extended into the first semiconductor region away from the first surface.
 7. A field effect transistor comprising: a first semiconductor region over a substrate, the first semiconductor region having a first surface; first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface to a predetermined depth within the first semiconductor region, each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions having an outer layer of doped silicon material which is discontinuous along a bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region so that the insulation material along the bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region is in direct contact with the first semiconductor region, the outer layer of silicon material being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; a body region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, the body region being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; a source region in the body region, the source region being of the same conductivity type as the first semiconductor region; a gate trench region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region; and a gate in the gate trench region extending across a portion of the body region and overlapping the source and the first semiconductor regions such that a channel region extending perpendicularly to the first surface is formed in the body region between the source and first semiconductor regions.
 8. A field effect transistor comprising: a first semiconductor region over a substrate, the first semiconductor region having a first surface; first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface to a predetermined depth within the first semiconductor region, each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions having an outer layer of doped silicon material which is discontinuous along a bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region so that the insulation material along the bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region is in direct contact with the first semiconductor region, the outer layer of silicon material being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; first and second body regions each extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, the first body region being laterally spaced from the second body region to form a JFET region therebetween, the first and second and body regions being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; and first and second source regions in the first and second body regions respectively, the first and second source regions being of the same conductivity type as the first semiconductor region.
 9. The field effect transistor of claim 8 further comprising a gate extending over but being insulated from the JFET region and a portion of the first and second body regions, and overlapping the first and second source regions such that a channel region is formed along a body surface of each of the first and second body regions between the corresponding source and JFET regions.
 10. The field effect transistor of claim 8 further comprising: a gate extending over but being insulated from each of the first and second body regions such that a channel region is formed along a surface of each of the first and second body regions between the corresponding source and JFET regions, the gate being discontinuous over a surface of the JFET region between the first and second body regions.
 11. A field effect transistor comprising: a first semiconductor region over a substrate, the first semiconductor region having a first surface; first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface to a predetermined depth within the first semiconductor region, each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions having an outer layer of doped silicon material which is discontinuous along a bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region so that the insulation material along the bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region is in direct contact with the first semiconductor region, the outer layer of silicon material being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; and a termination structure comprising a termination trench region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, the termination trench being filled with a semi-insulating material, the semi-insulating material being insulated from the first semiconductor region.
 12. The field effect transistor of claim 11 wherein the termination trench region is laterally spaced from the first and second trench regions so that during an operating mode of the field effect transistor a substantially uniform electric field in the region between the termination trench region and the first and second trench regions is obtained.
 13. The field effect transistor of claim 11 wherein the semi-insulating material extends over the first surface in a direction away from the first and second trench regions such that during an operating mode of the field effect transistor the electric field in the first semiconductor region under the portion of the semi-insulating material extending over the first surface is substantially reduced.
 14. A field effect transistor comprising: a first semiconductor region over a substrate, the first semiconductor region having a first surface; first and second insulation-filled trench regions each extending from the first surface to a predetermined depth within the first semiconductor region, each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions having an outer layer of doped silicon material which is discontinuous along a bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region so that the insulation material along the bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region is in direct contact with the first semiconductor region, the outer layer of silicon material being of a conductivity type opposite that of the first semiconductor region; and a termination structure comprising an insulation-filled termination trench region extending from the first surface into the first semiconductor region, the termination trench region being laterally spaced from the first and second trench regions so that during an operating mode of the field effect transistor a substantially uniform electric field in the region between the termination trench region and the first and second trench regions is obtained.
 15. The field effect transistor of claim 14 wherein the insulation-filled termination trench region includes an outer layer of doped silicon material which is discontinuous along a bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region so that the insulation material along the bottom surface of the insulation-filled trench region is in direct contact with the first semiconductor region.
 16. The field effect transistor of claim 2 wherein the gate trench region further includes: a gate dielectric lining sidewalls of the gate trench region; and a thick bottom dielectric filling a bottom portion of the gate trench region below the gate.
 17. The field effect transistor of claim 6 wherein the first and second insulation-filled trench regions are spaced apart in the first semiconductor region to form a drift region therebetween, the volume of each of the first and second insulation-filled trench regions being greater than one-quaffer of the volume of the drift region so as to reduce output capacitance and improve thermal performance of the field effect transistor. 